Trump vs Clinton: Top quotes from the second US presidential debate

The race for the White House intensified on Sunday, with the words “devil” and “abuser”resonating in the second US presidential debate as Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton fired accusations at each other. Here are some of the best quotes.

Republican US presidential nominee Donald Trump listens as Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton answers a question from the audience during their presidential town hall debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.(Reuters Photo)

The race for the White House intensified on Sunday, with the words “devil” and “abuser”resonating in the second US presidential debate as Republican nominee Donald Trump and his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton fired accusations at each other.

Clinton and the Trump clashed over statements made by the billionaire Republican -- who also said that if elected, he would jail the former secretary of state over the email scandal .

The tension was palpable in the 90-minute debate after the opponents did not shake hands as they met at the centre stage in the beginning.

Here are some of the best quotes from the debate:

Donald Trump

1) Trump on a new video in which he is heard bragging about how his fame allowed him to “do anything” to women: “Certainly I’m not proud of it. But this is locker room talk.”

“It’s just words, folks. It’s just words. Those words I’ve been hearing them for many years.” Trump defends his statements on the video, which he said paled in comparison to what he called Bill Clinton’s abuse of women. “There’s never been anybody in the history of politics in this nation that’s been so abusive to women.”

Former US president Bill Clinton greets Melania Trump, wife of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, before the start of the second presidential debate at Washington University.
(AFP Photo)

2) “Believe me, she (Hillary) has tremendous hate in her heart. And this country cannot take another four years of Barack Obama, and that’s what you’re getting for her.”

3) As Clinton reiterated that Trump’s temperament is not becoming of a US president, the Republican retorted: “Because you’d be in jail.”

Targeting Clinton over the email scandal, Trump said: “We are going to get a special prosecutor and we are going to look into it, because you know what? People... their lives have been destroyed for doing one-fifth of what you have done. And it’s a disgrace. And honestly, you (Clinton) ought to be ashamed of yourself.”

4) “He and I haven’t spoken, and I disagree.” Trump dismissed a statement from his vice presidential running mate Mike Pence last week in which Pence said the US should be prepared for military intervention in Syria.

5) “You’re right about Islamophobia, and that’s a shame... Whether we like it or not, there is a problem... Muslims have to report it when they see hate going on. Muslims have to report the problems when they see them. If they don’t do that it’s a very difficult situation for our country. She (Clinton) won’t even use the word (radical Islamic terrorism).”

Hillary Clinton

1) “It is awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in our country.”

2) “What we all saw and heard on Friday was Donald talking about women. What he thinks about women, what he does to women... We’ve seen him insult women. We’ve seen him rate women on their appearance... spend nearly a week denigrating a former Ms Universe... so yes this is who Donald Trump is.”

3) “He owes our country an apology,” Clinton said, citing Trump’s long campaign to question whether President Barack Obama was born in the US.

4) “I know you’re into big diversion tonight... the way Republicans are leaving you,” Clinton said, referring to the Republicans who have revoked their support for Trump after the controversial video was released.

5) “He says he agrees with a lot of what Putin wants to do, maybe because he wants to do business in Moscow.”

Happyish ending?

The debate ended with the moderators asking the candidates to each name something positive about the other.

“I respect his children,” a smiling Clinton stated, looking at Ivanka, Eric and Donald Trump Jr and describing them as “incredibly able” and devoted. “I don’t agree with nearly anything else he says or does, but I do respect that.”